Amatuer Baseball: Hi-10 Playoffs: Bluffton bounces back to secure spot in Region 14C playoffs

Bluffton secured one of the four spots in the Region 14C tournament by bouncing back from Saturday’s 5-3 loss to Wadena-Deer Creek to defeat the sixth-seeded New York Mills Millers 7-1 in an elimination game Sunday.

The fourth-seeded Braves struck first against the No. 1-seeded Wadena-Deer Creek Shockers as David Najjar led off the game with a single and later scored on a Dustin Geiser sacrifice fly to left for the 1-0 lead after one inning.

But the Shockers would capitalize on four Bluffton miscues in the game and then held off a furious ninth inning rally to cement the victory. Ryan Redfield reached on an error and subsequently scored on a RBI base hit by Seth Hamman to tie the game in the bottom of the third.

Wadena-Deer Creek took the lead for good in the bottom of the fourth when Travis George scored off another Bluffton error and Andrew Dornbusch drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to center to make it 3-1.

The Braves stayed within striking distance after Kyle Geiser led off the top of the fifth with a solo home run, but the Shockers would answer in the seventh on Dornbusch’s round-tripper and the Braves’ fourth error of the game scored Hamman.

Bluffton threatened in the ninth with one out and the bases loaded, but were unable to pull out the rally. Kyle Geiser walked to lead off the inning, and after Jake Seelhammer struck out, Kurt Mursu and Najjar singled to load the bases. Cody Geiser walked to score Kyle Geiser, but the Shockers Jordan Wohlwend got Dustin Geiser to hit into the game-ending double play to preserve the win.

Dustin Geiser was tagged with the loss despite limiting the Shockers to four hits in the game. Najjar went 3-for-5 with a run to lead the Braves, who outhit the Shockers.
Bluffton erupted for four runs in the bottom of the sixth to bounce New York Mills from the playoffs in Sunday’s elimination game.

The Millers had pulled within a run in the top of the frame on Jeff Hamman’s RBI single up the middle that scored Josh Hendrickx to make the score 2-1.

Kyle Dykhoff ripped a double to left to get Bluffton going in the bottom half of the inning, and the Millers intentionally walked Marc Sweere. Josh Sweere followed in the order by lining a rope to right field to score Dykhoff and advanced his older brother to third. Miller starting pitcher Michael Baune drove Marc Sweere across with a balk and then gave up a RBI single to Kevin Tumberg. One out later, the Braves loaded the bases on back-to-back singles from Seelhammer and Dustin Geiser to send Baune from the mound.

Josh Hendrickx came in relief and gave up a sacrifice fly to Kurt Mursu and then got Cody Geiser to fly out to center to end the inning with the Braves on top, 7-1.

Bluffton capped the scoring in the eighth when Seelhammer scored on a wild pitch.
Tumberg went the distance on the hill for the Braves. He gave up seven hits, one earned run, walked three and struck out nine. Kyle Geiser, Marc Sweere and Seelhammer each had two hits apiece.

Jeff Hamman went 3-for-4 with a double and ribbie for the Millers.

Bluffton, who already secured a berth in the regional playoffs, will face No. 2 Detroit Lakes at 7:30 p.m. Friday in another Hi-10 elimination game.

Hi-10 Playoffs
No. 4 Bluffton at No. 1 Wadena-Deer Creek on July 23 (in Deer Creek)
Shockers 5, Braves 3
Bluffton 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1—3 10 4
WDC 0 0 1 2 0 0 2 0 x—5 4 0
WP: Jordan Wohlwend (WDC) 9IP, 10H, 3R, 3ER, 3BB, 8K
LP: Dustin Geiser (Bluffton) 8IP, 4H, 5R, 1ER, 2BB, 3K
Bluffton—David Najjar 3-5, R; Dustin Geiser 0-3, SAC, RBI; Cody Geiser 1-4, 2B, RBI; Marc Sweere 1-3; Josh Sweere 1-4; Kyle Geiser 2-3, 2R, HR, RBI; Kurt Mursu 2-4
Wadena-Deer Creek—Seth Hamman 2-4, R; Jamie Nordlund 1-4; Andrew Dornbusch 1-3, R, HR

No. 6 New York Mills at No. 4 Bluffton on July 24
Braves 7, Millers 1
New York Mills 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0—1 7 1
Bluffton 0 0 2 0 0 4 0 1 x—7 9 0
WP: Kevin Tumberg (Bluffton) 9IP, 7H, 1R, 1ER, 3BB, 9K
LP: Michael Baune (NYM) 6.1IP, 6H, 5R, 3ER, 3BB, 5K
New York Mills—Baune 1-4; Josh Hendrickx 2-4, R; Jeff Hamman 3-4, 2B, RBI; Jason Burg 1-4
Bluffton—Kyle Geiser 2-4, R, 2B, RBI; Marc Sweere 2-3, R, RBI; Josh Sweere 1-4, R, RBI; Tumberg 1-4, R, RBI; Jake Seelhammer 2-4, R; Dustin Geiser 1-1